Day 6: Just imagine what could have happened

Yesterday now seems a long way away. I am left with aches and pains that leave me unable to get up again if I've had a long sit down. But it was worth it!

And after the antics of Friday's bin round, I came home to a copy of our local paper the Bury Free Press. And there it was, a huge write-up about The Rubbish Diet on page 4, with a photo of me and the little ones posing with our empty black bin.




It was Wednesday that the photographer visited.

"Could we take a photo of you dangling a plaster over your wheelie bin?" she asked, as soon as she arrived at the door.

I agreed but warned her it was around the back.

"That's okay" she said.

But it wasn't just around the back of the house. That would have been too easy.

It was up the garden, along the back path, fighting against the garden foliage, through the back gate, across the communal drive and finally in front of the garage stood the bin!

As soon as we got there, the kids grabbed the wheelie bin in excitement and pulled it into position.

After a few shots, the deed was done and we could return to the garden, across the drive, through the back gate, along the short path, beating down the foliage and then through the garden to the house.

And that's what it's like every time I need to put out the rubbish bin. I can't believe it's been almost a year since I moved it. I figured that we were hardly putting out any rubbish, so we moved it from the side of the house, where it was in the way, to the garage where it was nicely out of sight.

It's a good job I hardly have to do it eh as it's certainly a disincentive keeping the wheelie bin that far away from the house, especially when it's raining.

Because at times like that, the journey can feel like a re-enactment of that book "We're going on a bear hunt" especially the bit that goes

"Uh oh mud, thick oozy mud

We can't go over it,
We can't go under it
Oh no we have to go through it!

Squelch squerch
Squelch squerch
Squelch squerch
Squelch squerch!"


So thankfully it was a lovely sunny day when the photographer came to visit, otherwise she would have needed a pair of wellie boots and calves that could defeat quick sand.

But I am even more thankful that Mr A hadn't lived up to his reputation.

On showing him the article and the photo of the nice black empty bin, he piped up...

"So you were lucky I hadn't emptied out the garage then!"

Emptied out the garage!!!!

Could you imagine the shock that would have given me.

You can just picture the headline, can't you!

"Zero Waste Woman hits Maximum Waste."

With the plaster dangling over a binload!

But don't forget, the other big news is that this week is supposed to be our Maximum Waste challenge, to see if we can go back to our old habits and chuck an enormous amount of stuff into landfill.

And Mr A has been given free rein to do what he wants, without me standing over him telling him what goes where. This bin - that bin - t'other!

But I think he's actually forgotten. Either that or he is now a true convert!

I hope so.

Because I don't think I could really let him fill up the black bin, not like how he used to.

Especially when we have a local Freecycle where things that he would have once thrown away could be put to good use.

And aside from my worries about waste, could you imagine how embarrassing it would be if we had any other visitors from the press.

"Let me introduce you to our almost empty bin" I'd say.

"Think you've got the wrong one there love" They'd answer, thinking they'd got a scoop!

Then there'd be the cost of therapy!

Hmm. I think I've got to keep a close eye on that Mr A, especially as there is just one more day to go in this mad challenge.

And tomorrow is a Sunday, always a dangerous day for throwing out clutter.

I know it would mean he'd pass the Maximum Waste challenge, but I think I might just have to keep him tied-up.

And I don't mean busy either.

I prefer the literal alternative.

With a ball of string and a post!

Ah that should do it.

[Cue evil laughter]

Mwahahahahah.

Mwahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahah!

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Huge thanks to the Bury Free Press for the article, and to the East Anglian Daily Times, Heart FM and James Hazell at Radio Suffolk for the other media coverage this week as well as to Suffolk CC and St Edmundsbury for sharing the good news. Thanks also to Radio Suffolk's Lesley Dolphin for yesterday's update on my Red Nose Day sponsored Bin Round. The Rubbish Diet reader community has donated almost £200 for Comic Relief, which is absolutely fabulous.
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Me, Me, Me...Revisiting Almost Mrs Average

Hello, hello, hello. I'm back from my "week off" and it's been a fun old week consisting of experiments with yoghurt, making a Jedi costume and drinking cider with Spandau Ballet's Tony Hadley...

...okay, I exaggerate...Tony Hadley was in the same room while opening the East Anglian Beer Festival in Bury St Edmunds. We didn't quite get the opportunity to chew the fat over a beer, but we did engage in some brief banter while he was posing for press photos on the other side of the bar.

Anyway, we start the week with the news that The Rubbish Diet is featured in our regional newspaper, The East Anglian Daily Times and I'd like to extend a warm welcome to readers who have popped over as a result. Also a huge thank you to Sheena Grant for such a great write-up.

It's fabulous to be back. I really did miss the blog last week.

As ever there was so much happening in the world of trash, I was itching to get out my laptop and add my two-penneth, but in honour of International Downshifting Week, I managed to refrain.

Instead, I took the opportunity to have a good old ponder over the events of the last few months. I still find it bizarre how having reduced our family's landfill waste has led to so much attention and that it has had such an impact on how others look at their rubbish.

However, it really is great when people tell me their stories of how they now rethink their habits, e.g. a mother from school who now uses containers rather than clingfilm for packed lunches, another mum who's changed her toiletries for products that use recyclable packaging and there's regular reader Baba, whose household has even developed a new catchphrase. Apparently "I'll tell Amost Mrs Average" can often be heard amongst the four walls of their kitchen, when pondering throwing things away.

...All from having set up a blog and talking rubbish to anyone who'll listen.

Some people may have described me as an eco-warrior, campaigner or an activist. I'm not quite sure if that is true. I'm just someone who thrives in a creative environment and loves to share a few good ideas (and some frustrations) through the joys of writing.

At the end of the day, I am still your Almost Mrs Average. I'm the same person who set up this blog 3 months ago when I decided to take personal responsibility for our household waste, joining a whole host of other people who are already doing the same thing but who are not eccentric enough or have got better things to do than to write about their efforts.

When you think about it, trying to reduce your rubbish shouldn't be anything special as it's no different to taking personal responsibility for looking after your home and garden, your finances or your diet. It's just a simple lifestyle choice, which like many other decisions offers a positive change to your personal life.

It's like having a blimming good declutter. Call it Feng Shui for your bin if you like and the best thing is, you don't have to be rich, green or eccentric. It's something that an average person can happily attempt, even if it means reducing your rubbish by just 10%.

I suppose you could think of me as an old-fashioned girl who takes advantage of 21st Century opportunities, enjoying modern life with a sensible approach. If I get given the odd carrier bag, I won't fall to the power of guilt in the same way as I don't confuse common sense with obsessiveness.

You certainly won't find me telling people where to stick their rubbish and I definitely wouldn't want to teach grannies (or indeed grandpas) how to suck eggs. That would be rather rude.

I'm just happy to carry on with my tales of ordinary living, some of which will make you laugh and some will make you cringe. I only hope that whatever the outcome, they will continue to inspire.

And on that note, I hope that regular readers managed to have a gander at Ruby's Rubbish update which she posted on her Living in Bury St Edmunds blog. I'll be summarising Ruby's efforts later this week, but the big update is that she's now also set up her own rubbish blog, which you can find at www.rubysrubbishblog.blogspot.com. It's worth taking a look to see how she is being affected by the problem of overpackaging.

Another blogger who will be trying her hand at her own Rubbish Diet soon is Jo Beaufoix at www.jobeaufoix.com. Jo is busy doing an audit on her rubbish this week, so we can work out the easiest way to slim her bins. There'll be more on that soon.

So with Ruby being "Miss April" and Jo signing up as "Miss May", if there are any volunteers who also fancy having a go at slimming their own bins and who want to join up for June, just drop me a line at enquiries@therubbishdiet.co.uk.

I can see The Rubbish Diet calendar coming can't you? - Now that would be a fun project, as long as it could be recycled of course.

The other big feature that is coming up this week is an interview with Andy Hamilton, one of the twins behind www.selfsufficientish.com and their new book The Selfsufficient-ish Bible. So watch this space to find out more about their book, what it was like being on BBC Breakfast's famous red sofa and of course what they've got in their bins.

Oh, and I might also tell you about my visit to the cobblers! Such excitement I know. I always like to leave a good cliff-hanger!
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